"But that hasn't stopped a steady stream of male "specialists" from asserting unequivocally that when it comes to female plumbing, and the best ways of tapping it to activate desire, they really know what they're talking about. And I don't just mean Freud." • Police in Dallas have started a new program, which aims to help sex workers rather than punish them. The operation gives women a choice to enter a treatment program, and offers them food, medical attention and counseling. Detectives are also on hand to question the women - not about their own crimes, but about human trafficking and child prostitutes. • Researchers in California have located several areas in the state with higher rates of autism. The "clusters" often occur in communities located near treatment facilities for the disorder, as well as those with highly-educated residents. • The UK-based Mental Health Foundation has recommended that meditation become more widely available as a treatment for depression. The charity suggests that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could be the most useful way for dealing with recurring bouts of depression. • If I had to be snowed in anywhere, I suppose it would be a pub. That's exactly what happened to 30 people in Britain, who were stuck in the Tan Hill Inn for three days. ''There was a lovely, community atmosphere despite the fact nobody could get home,'' landlord Tracy Daly said. • A 24-year-old woman has taken 26-year-old Darryl Gibbons to court for rape, claiming that he began assaulting her while she was asleep. She initially assumed he was her boyfriend, but she quickly realized that her boyfriend was still sleeping next to her. Click here if you want to read more, including a heavy dose of victim-blaming. • Lawmakers in France are considering a "psychological violence" ban, which would make emotional abuse a crime. However, many have questions as to how this would play out in court. • According to a new study, people who quit smoking are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The increased risk may be as high as 80 to 90%, but only for the first few years after quitting. • The Dutch have created a website - called the Suicide Machine - that helps you delete your online accounts at several social networks. But the powers that be over at Facebook have blocked the software, thus making it even more difficult to block out unpleasant high school memories. • A 14-month-old Chinese boy narrowly escaped death by chopstick after he got one of the eating utensils lodged up his nose and several centimeters into his brain. Doctors managed to remove the chopstick, and he is recovering well. • Senegal's 49-meter-tall monument to "African Resistance" has come under criticism for showing a little too much thigh. And that's not the only problem with the towering structure. Others have criticized the use of government money and the depiction of women in a secondary role. • A recent study has connected childhood trauma with an increased risk for obesity and eating disorders. Researchers believe that food is often used as a "numbing or comforting escape" for abused children. • Sweet Jesus, is this a real thing? "A dating reality show that combines the frenetic shallowness of speed dating with the presentation of industrial grade meat." It's called "Conveyor Belt of Love," and apparently, it's kind of boring. • Glenn Beck seems to think it's the liberal media who started this whole birther business: "Today there is a concerted effort on all radio stations to get Birthers on the air. I have to tell you, are you working for the Barack Obama administration? I mean, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." O rly? • This story, about two rival strip clubs, started out humorous, with rats and bugs scattered around the swanky Club Onyx in attempts to shut it down, but ended in arson - and sentences of up to 20 years for the employees of Platinum 21. •